Penola House is a workplace where we share and learn new skills to empower new citizens to live life more fully in our Newcastle community.

Penola House is a place of welcome and friendship for refugees and their families.

There is social interaction, faith, skill sharing and lots of fun.

Why is our centre called Penola House?

Father Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint started a school at Penola in South Australia in 1866. Consequently we remember the small begininnings of the stable in Penola as we carry on the work of Mary MacKilop and The Sisters of St Joseph who support Penola House in Newcastle.

I would like to say hello to Sister Betty.
I was a volunteer at the Penola house for 8 months. I enjoyed being part of the sewing activity on Tuesdays. I met friendly and generous ladies from all over the world. I came back to Canada in May 2009. I am happy to be back in my home town but I miss Australia and its welcoming citiziens. I’ll never forget this wonderful experience .
Thank you again

Penola House has been working hard to help these orphans join families in Australia.

Good news today. David, Fabiola and Patrick have been granted a visa. Their long wait has ended.

Donations to support the Penola House bid to bring the orphans to the Newcastle region can be made to the Our 10 Lost Children Fund through any branch of the Commonwealth Bank (BSB 062 194 Account 1010 8045) or directly to Penola House at 3 Wilson Street, Mayfield.

Bishop Santo Loku Pio Doggale of South Sudan visited Newcastle to meet and encourage the local African community.

Bishop Santo Loku Pio Doggale, Auxiliary Bishop of Juba, Juba is the capital of the newly independent (July, 2011) republic of South Sudan.

The Bishop visited Newcastle and met the Hunter African Catholic Community. He was happy to see that the refugees from South Sudan were in general doing well in their new lives in Newcastle, Australia.

They showed us their new South Sudanese passports. They were very happy to be free in their own country after many years of war.

Penola House is staffed by volunteers who are committed to supporting and empowering refugees as they settle into the local community.

Over the years many of our volunteers have been recognised at award ceremonies in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. Sister Diana, Santino Shanfwaig and Robert Wanyoike were commended in 2012. We appreciate the time and skills of all who participate in this ministry of service at Penola House. Well done.

The following text is from Minister Combet’s Website.

“Greg Combet, Member for Charlton, today congratulated local refugee advocate, Sister Diana Santleben, who was among the list of 40 People of Australia Ambassadors announced by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Sister Di was recognised for her outstanding work in our community, helping to build bridges of understanding and encourage participation.”

Santino Shanfwaig and his wife after receiving a Newcastle Community Volunteer award from Federal MP Sharon Grierson.

As a member of the collaborative, Penola House has been supportive of many young refugees by facilitating their applications for a scholarship. The success of these students in the studies at University, TAFE and senior High School, evidences the benefits of the financial support received.

These are some of the students who have received scholarships in recent times. We wish them further achievement of their goals. Further information about HYMC is available on their website.

Traditional clothing wore by attendees at a West African wedding in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

The vibrant energy of a West African wedding, even one experienced in Australia, is something to behold. Sometimes the bride will dance down the aisle while a live chorus fills the auditorium with traditional songs. “An Australian wedding is the most boring thing in the world compared to this”, one Aussie attending his first West African wedding was heard to remark.

Having a great time.

Fried chicken feet and goat’s head soup are considered a delicacy in West Africa and may be on the menu. Okra, fufu (mashed cassava), spicy stews and deep fried chicken will definitely be part of the cuisine of a West African wedding celebration.

Vibrant energy of a West African wedding in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Thanks to the generosity of the local community in the Newcastle-Hunter Region, Penola House has been resourced to provide excellent services to the refugees who reach out for help in the local area.

However, when some of our new Aussie citizens are able to return to their countries of origin where some level of safety has been restored, we have been able to send materials to relieve the difficulties of their relatives still living in camps or in dire poverty in a destroyed homeland.

In Liberia, Pastor Kolor is using material we sent to clothe student teachers that will visit and care for orphans in the outlying villages. He sent us some pictures.

Penola House rejoices that their efforts to support Jerome Ruguzura in Newcastle and his family in Africa have come to such a happy conclusion.

Jerome a Newcastle University student has been reunited with his wife Imaculee and their children – Bonfils, 12, Joy, 8, Jessica, 4, and two-year-old King.

Jerome and his family are Banyamulenge Tutsi, a tribal group and are Democratic Republic of Congo nationals.

At one stage, due to conflicts in their homeland Jerome and his wife become separated in diferent refugee camps and for three harrowing years neither knew where the other was, or even if they were alive.

Work is needed to ensure that Immaculee’s three siblings (cared for by her since their parents were killed) are united with the Ruguzura family in Australia soon. Read more about the Ruguzura family in the Aurora Page 5.Aurora online magazine